Classic detective story. Good, but not outstanding. Somewhat reminiscent of Margery Allingham in places.
100. Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik. 259 pages.
I love this series, but this latest book was something of a disappointment.
This felt as though it was the outlines for three separate novels, with the action scenes fleshed out and not much else. What was there was good, but it felt as though great swathes had been left out. Not up to the usual standard at all, sad to report.
101. Dead Spots by Melissa F. Olsen. 254 pages.
This book uses a similar idea to that on which Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series is based - a person who has the ability to nullify the power of vampires and werewolves - but it goes in a rather different and more serious direction with it.
Scarlett Bernard is a null - being in her radius of influence turns supernatural beings temporarily human again, which makes her useful to the leaders of the various supernatural groups. When Scarlett meets policeman Jesse at a particularly vicious crime scene, both their lives are in great danger.
Nice plotting and worldbuilding plus sympathetic and interesting characters. I bought the sequel as soon as I finished it.
102. Room With a Clue by Kate Kingsbury. 169 pages.
I’m getting a tad fed up with authors who set their books in the Victorian/Edwardian period in England and then have their characters using modern American phrases. Do your research, people! Or if you can’t be bothered to do that, set your book in a time and place where people actually do speak like that.
Kingsbury has less excuse than most, having been born in England and moved to the US later.
The plot was reasonably Ok, but I kept getting jarred out of the book by the anachronistic language. I shan’t be in any hurry to read more of this series.
103. Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland. 226 pages.
Now that’s rather more like it! Antiques dealer Josie Prescott is implicated when a rich client is found murdered and goes to work to clear her name.
A much better effort and this series I will be looking to read more of.
104. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews. 228 pages.
Another outing for Meg Langslow and her demented pack of relatives. Not really remotely plausible, but so much fun it doesn’t matter :)
This time Meg and fiance Michael have a literal zoo descend upon them, rather than the figurative one they usually have to deal with….